Ninety Six National Historic Site, SC (6-24-12)

Ninety Six is a historic Revolutionary War site situated about an hour south of today's Greenville, SC. A small village on the edge of the frontier in the late 18th Century, Ninety Six was so-named due to the belief that it was about ninety six miles from the Cherokee town of Keowee (in reality it is closer to 70). A fairly important stop at the time for traders heading back to Charleston from the Indian lands to the north and west, Ninety Six's diminutive size belies the scale of historic events that would take place here in the late 1700's.

The town itself was established around 1751 and from the beginning was a very lively place to make a living. During the Indian Wars of the 1760's the small outpost was attacked on a number of occasions by the local Cherokee, though it was never captured. A decade of relative peace followed before, even in this remote backcountry outpost, the rumblings of Revolution began to be felt.

Unlike areas to the north and along the coast the struggle here would not be between American and Redcoat, but rather it would be between Patriot and Loyalist, Americans alike. There was a sharp division in this region as to whether loyalties should be to the Crown or to a new independent nation. As such, the revolution took the for of a localized Civil War in the backcountry of the south. The first wave of battle swept over Ninety Six in November 1775, barely six months after the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill to the north. On the 19th of that month a band of 600 Patriots had fortified themselves at Ninety Six and were attacked by a much larger force of 1,900 Loyalists. The attacks proved fruitless and after a number of days of fighting the two sides called a truce and went their separate ways. Losses were light but none-the-less it was a historic moment. It was the first land engagement in the south and, as such, the first battle in the south to cause casualties in the Revolution.

For the next six years the residents of Ninety Six endured an uneasy peace before, once again, the Revolution found its way to their doorstep. In 1781 the British once again were determined to subdue the south and, thus, split the American colonies in two. The campaign was disastrous. The British suffered defeats at both Kings Mountain and Cowpens before finally defeating the Americans at Guilford Courthouse. The victory came at such a horrific cost, however, that the British followed up their victory with a withdrawal back to the coast. With the British on the retreat, it was time for the Americans to take the offensive. In their crosshairs was an important trading outpost on the edge of the frontier, Ninety Six.

The Loyalists in the area knew the attack was coming and made every preparation to meet it. Improvements on the old wooden stockade were made as well as the stockade around the town. The biggest project, however, was the construction of a new earthen "Star Fort", named so due to its shape which provided unlimited angles from which to fire upon the enemy. Surrounded by 15-foot deep trenches the fort presented a formidable obstacle to the arriving Patriots. A frontal assault was quickly deemed suicidal so the Patriots settled in for a siege. Over the next couple weeks the Patriots dug a series of trenches to gradually close on the fort to a point where it could be assaulted. Unfortunately for the Patriots, time was not on their side. A detachment of 2,000 British troops had been dispatched to relive the force in the fort, a number that would overwhelm the attackers. Therefore, a preemptive attack on the fort was made on June 18, 1781. Doomed from the start, the bloody battle lasted only an hour and resulted in over 50 Patriot casualties. Convinced that the fort could not be taken the Patriots withdrew after a siege lasting 28 days, the longest of the Revolution. Despite the victory, the Loyalists knew that they could not hold out forever at Ninety Six and abandoned and burned both the fort and the village a month later.

Today, the Historic Site is home to what remains of the original star fort and trenches, as well as a reconstructed replica of the 1775 stockade. There is nothing left of the original town but a pleasant, well-marked, one mile trail leads across the grounds and through the old town site giving a good overview to the visitor how places were arranged during the time period. Just like 250 years ago, Ninety Six turns out to be a much more interesting place than its size suggests!

This log home is located adjacent to the visitor center. It dates back to the 1700's but was originally located in the nearby town of Greenwood. None-the-less, it is a good representation of a typical frontier home of the period...

This log home is located adjacent to the visitor center. It dates back to the 1700's but was originally located in the nearby town of Greenwood. None-the-less, it is a good representation of a typical frontier home of the period (note the adjacent cistern)...

The Stockade Fort was the scene of the action during the attack of 1775. The 600 defenders inside held off 1,900 attackers for a number of days. During the battle and seige of 1781 the stockade was reinforced but was eventually overwhelmed and captured by Patriot forces under the command of "Light-horse" Harry Lee...

The Stockade Fort was the scene of the action during the attack of 1775. The 600 defenders inside held off 1,900 attackers for a number of days. During the battle and seige of 1781 the stockade was reinforced but was eventually overwhelmed and captured by Patriot forces under the command of "Light-horse" Harry Lee.

The Stockade Fort was the scene of the action during the attack of 1775. The 600 defenders inside held off 1,900 attackers for a number of days. During the battle and seige of 1781 the stockade was reinforced but was eventually overwhelmed and captured by Patriot forces under the command of "Light-horse" Harry Lee.

The placement of the Stockade Fort was due to this small well, an important source of water for the village and the fort itself...

The Stockade Fort was the scene of the action during the attack of 1775. The 600 defenders inside held off 1,900 attackers for a number of days. During the battle and seige of 1781 the stockade was reinforced but was eventually overwhelmed and captured by Patriot forces under the command of "Light-horse" Harry Lee.

The Stockade Fort was the scene of the action during the attack of 1775. The 600 defenders inside held off 1,900 attackers for a number of days. During the battle and seige of 1781 the stockade was reinforced but was eventually overwhelmed and captured by Patriot forces under the command of "Light-horse" Harry Lee...

This road, now sunken due to use and erosion, was an important travel and trade route between Ninety Six and points north and east during the late 1700's. It was important for the Patriots to cut off roads such as this to deny resupply to the troops in the Star Fort...

These trenches allowed for troop movements to and from the three 'parallels' approaching the fort. The trenches were dug primarily at night and were under constant small arms and artillery fire from the fort...

The only 'real' cannon on the field now demonstrates the Patriot viewpoint as they neared the fort. At the time the cannon would not have been so exposed but rather sat recessed into one of the parallels...

With the fort still resisting the Patriots tried to give themselves an edge by constructing a 30-foot tall wooden tower on June 13. By placing sharpshooters atop this tower the Patriots could pour harassing fire directly down into the fort...

One plan for breaching the forts walls was a mine, dug beneath the walls of the stronghold, which would be packed with explosives that, when ignited, would create a breach in the fortifications. The mine was started on June 9 but couldn't be completed before the battle's end...

With British reinforcements fast approaching, Patriot General Nathaniel Greene was forced to attack the fort on June 18, 1781. The plan involved a small shock force of 50 troops to breach the walls which would allow the main force to then advance and overwhelm the defenders. The members of this small force were soon dubbed "The Forlorn Hope" as little faith was held in the success of the attack...

The troops of the so called 'Forlorn Hope' began their attack at noon on June 18. The desperate attack soon bogged down as the Forlorn Hope was pinned in the 15-foot deep trench at the base of the wall. A few managed to claw their way up to the parapet but then a force of 60 Loyalists exited the rear of the fort and, within the trench, charged the Patriots from both sides. The Forlorn Hope was quickly overwhelmed, 30 of their 50 falling dead in the attack. With the failure of the attack, all hope of capturing the fort was lost...

This view, from the walls of the fort, overlooks the approach trenches of the attacking Patriots. At the time the walls would have been ringed with sharpened logs, or 'fraise', and surrounded by a 15-foot deep trench...much more intimidating than the small mounds you see today...

The name is a bit of a mis-nomer...the covered way was meant to provide cover not actually be covered. It is now marked by this line of red stakes and was used to allow the Loyalists relatively safe passage between the Star Fort and the stockaded town...

Burned to the ground following the battle, nothing remains of the 18th Century village of Ninety Six. At the time around 100 people called this hamlet home, most of whom chose to remain during the entire length of the seige...

One of three roads that ran through Ninety Six, the historic Whitehall Road connected the town to the white settlement of Augusta, Georgia to the east and Keowee, a Cherokee village near present-day Clemson, to the north...

You guessed it, this was the road from Ninety Six to Charleston, South Carolina. This was the road used by the British reinforcements which forced the withdrawl of the Patriots and decided the fate of the battle...

Key to curb lawlessness on the frontier was a courthouse and jail. Standing where the white stakes are placed in this shot, the jail was constructed in 1772. The jail escaped the firey fate suffered by the rest of the town but eventually was torn down following the war so the bricks could be used elsewhere...